Hi I am looking at buying a used 2004 XJ8 that has about 95K on it. The car looks clean cosmetically. What are the things that I should be checking for before I get it? Please advice. Thanks!

 

I bought an 04 VDP with 144K on it, so your mileage feels more comfortable (I've put 24K on it since). If I were buying again I would of course look for the things a used car buyer would look for on any vehicle, but in particular with this car I would look for:
*evidence whether the air suspension system is acting up (error codes, leaking, whether compressor turns on and shuts off correctly; see how it acts in very cold weather if possible--I don't see where you're from, but this winter in the U.S. is a good time to do that),
*check for any leaks in the engine cooling system, particularly reservoir, thermostat housing all the way down to the intake manifold, and hoses,
*whether the silver slider knobs on the air vents are all there and working properly,
*whether the eyeglasses holder stays in the closed position,
*run through all the electrical features, especially parking sensor, heated seats, and windows,
*check the front rotors in particular for wear and need for replacement,
*if you can find out from the present owner, ask about previous service particularly with the air suspension system and transmission fluid/filter pan change,
*and definitely run a Carfax report to see the history, where maybe some things the owner doesn't know about will show up.
Good luck! What's the asking price, if you don't mind sharing that?

 

Hi I'm in PA area it drove perfectly fine in the cold. Thank you for your recommendations could you possibly guide me on how to check for the air suspension problem? The seller is asking for $5000. The seller told me that the only major fix he did was replace air bags but it wasn't due to an accident just an error or something. I will run a carfax on it soon.

 

Driving well in the cold is a good sign. Listen for compressor to cycle on and then off on startup after sitting a while (compressor located behind front bumper on driver's side). Listen for leaks at shocks and at air tubing connections on top of struts (under the hood and in the trunk); you can also spray fluid at connectors to see if you get bubbling.


Sounds like a good deal. I paid more for mine with higher miles. Actually it sounds inexpensive.

 

Look for leaks. Besides coolant leaks, I had tranny leaks from both the transmission pan gasket and transmission oil cooler lines. The shield that goes under the car that covers the engine has insulation on it that acts as a sponge absorbing small fluid leaks until they get real nasty. By the time the leaks show up on the driveway, it is too late. I had to replace oil pan gasket, transmission oil cooler lines and had the transmission serviced replacing the pan and gasket.

Mind you these are maintenance items that will hit you sooner or later.

Besides the air suspension that troubles these cars, the heater quits working at some point and that is either due to the auxiliary coolant pump quitting or, if the po did not maintain the coolant properly, the heater core gels up.

Look for transmission shift patterns: too harsh, delayed etc. Once the tranny goes, its a $7k if you are lucky.

$5k price sounds like a good real good deal to me assuming there are no pre-existing major problems....

 

Thank you all for your suggestions. I will go over the vehicle one more time, pull up the carfax and if everything goes well, I am getting this beauty.

By the way, what could be the reason for replacing the air bags due to error if there is no accident associated with it?

 

I'm not sure what the air bag error could be, but if there was an accident the Carfax should report it and indicate whether the air bags deployed.

 

The airbag error could be a faulty clockspring or the seat belt receptacle sensor(s) needing cleaning, which seems to be common around 50k. Pretty easy fix, from what I hear.